Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-02-20
TILE DRAINAGE.
The veieran AgrfcuIsurisf,
Q " CIarlxssn I'm she
Eswa Regin1er.
Writing On = sahjsss il whIsA Puxrs
scuna Hsrnsrz are Deeply
Infsrssssd.

Sometimes simple facts win Illustrate
. great principle better than fheories
" parallels. Tile drainage Is . pro-
gressiFe study, and while many think
they are very radical advocates Of is
great importance. they really have a
very limited idea d the true principles
and the extent Of the application Of the
system.
There were two farmers s. years ago
living adjoining each other In one u
the eastern counties Of Indiana. Mr.
A. owned 30 acres and Mr.. b. 10
acres. They were both industrious, as
Il was understood In those days, and
good practical farmers. But they had
never made any advances in pro-
gressiye farming. They did not know
there vas such possibility. But one
Of them Mr.. A. made a visit % Brown
county, Ohio, 20 an Old acquaintance,
near Georgetown. His friend, q few
years previous, had redeemed, BY am
pie tile drainage, 3 burr oak and spice
wood swamp, which ordinary farmers
IN that neighborhood had for years
considered worthless. But the soil Of
that swamp was exceedingly rich, hay
ing been the depository for unnum-
befed centuries Of the wash from the
surrounding rolling lands. And while
the dry corn lands in Brown county
were producing from IS 10 30 bushels
Of corn per acre, the reclaimed swamp
Of his friend was producing 20 bushels
10 the acre. Ny Hoosier friend got an
idea Of progress in his head, but un-
fortunately Il WAS only q limited one,
and one which too many advocates Of
drainage today entertain He was so
tickled at the idea that he could not
stay 10 finish his visit, but hurried home
TO accomplish purpose which had en-
tered his head, caused by the success Of
his friends swamp.
Mr.. Al neighbor (B. had fifteen
acre swamp, which had been an eye
sore 10 the entire neighborhood, and
especially 70 our new enthusiast for
drainage, as il lay IN front Of his house,
across the road. Farmer A. had for
over third Of century owned forty
acre tract OF rolling clay land, in the
corner 81 his neighbours farm, which b.
had for long time coveted. SO Farmer
A. concluded he could now easily make
a trade and dispose Of the worn-out
forty acres and get the swamp, with
money enough 10 boot 70 clear out and
thoroughly tile drain the swamp. The
trade was soon made. The work Of
drainage went on vigorously, and soon
the imaginary progressive farmer, with
one-thifd the work, raised twice As
much corn on the fifteen acres as the
other did on the forty. And, like per-
verse human nature, he awaited him
self Of every occasion to crow over his
neighbof.
nj. . f-s -. - 49,. a =.
cropped, without rest, for third Of a
century; the writer hereof having tried
hts energies on il for one season nearly
sixty years ago. Each year the show
ers Of rain were washing its sod into
the now reclaimed swamp, and yet
continued 70 do 50, until its productive
capacity consisted principally Of few
mullen stalks and scattered stuHted
rag weeds. But the constant haunting
which the new owner Of this impover-
ished forty acres got he needed to
arouse his energies and to awaken in
him a new life. He began TO investi-
gate the drainage system, and this
naturally led him 70 seek for more in
formation, as the first taste had whet-
ted his appetite for deeper draughts.
He procured books on drainage, on
plant food" and on " how plants
grow as well as on the question Of
the source Of the support Of vegeta-
tion--how much from the air and how
much from the earth. This opened a
new field to his vision, more delightful
than the fabulous wales OF Arcadia.
And as these studies Of the natural
and practical sciences were fascinating,
they led him 10 ways and purposes
which changed his whole neral, social
and financial condition in life. There
was q new and wide field Of research
and industry opened 10 his mind. He
found that the main benefits OF the
drainage tile were not from the mere
operation Of carrying on the surplus
water on the surface OF the land. He
soon discovered the great error Of the
past ages, that an open ditch was about
as good for drainage as under-ditching
with tile. So he determined 10 redeem
his forty acres by thorough tile drain
age, although It was already dry
enough for all purposes. But be
would do il for that greater purpose,
the retaining Of the fertilizing gases OF
the atmosphere by teaching all Of the
rAinwAter through the sod to the
drains. instead Of letting Il pass of on
the surface, taking with il the atmos-
pheric fertilizers together with the sur
lace soil. In this way he proposed
loosening up and opening the pores OF
the soil, letting In air and warmth, and
then with clover and other fertilizers
preparing Il for producing such crops
As Providence, by the wise supervision
OF man. intended il should. He had
seen that Il was useless to add manure
20 long as heavy rains would wash on
as much In an hour rs he could haul on
IN a week. SO he determined that
drainage was the first thing 70 be done,
50 that the surplus water, instead Of
passing of ON the surface and taking
along with Il the sol. manure and the
ammonia which comes down 50 copi-
ously in snow and rain, should pass
through the soil 10 the drain, the soil
retaining that which il had long been
deprived of by mans neglect,
Mr. B. was thoroughly aroused. at
tended drainage conventions, read
works ON scientific agriculture and
other appropriate literature on the
subject, until he became one Of the
most advanced and progressive farm
ers In that part Of the State. This
forty acres, BY the most approved
principles Of farming, and by rotating
with fertilizing crops, was brought
back 10 more than its original pro
ductiyenesS, and az the end Of fifteen
years made much larger crops Of corn
than the famous reclaimed fifteen acre
swamp.
The farmer who got the one idea in
/ his head near Georgetown concluded
he knew enough. Evidently there was
no mere room in his head for anything
else. He did not want 20 know any
| thing more. To drain q slough OF
swamp was q grand thing with him
and Il was glory enough for one life.
And l doubt Il he has ever 70 this day
discovered the great and essential diff
| ference between an open ditch and q
/ tile drain. And this lack Of fnh inves.
| tigation OF this question - what l.
eramping and holding back the farm.
ing world generally. He had obtained
one idea Of accidental sight But this
did net awaken him into mental actis
ity enough 10 study out BY close inves
| tigation and by careful reading tbs
works OF scientific authors, how 10 ne
tain the fertility II the soil He nevel
dreamed that the farmer must max.